Abstracto

Characterization and Thermomechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Potato Starch

Musa MB, Yoo MJ, Kang TJ, Kolawole EG, Ishiaku USa, Yakubu MK, and Whang DJ

Thermoplastic starch was prepared from potato starch using Glycerol as the plasticizer. It was shown to have modified crystallinity and better thermal stability as compared to native starch. The complexation of the plasticizer with the starch also resulted in a shift of the O-H and C-H bands on the FT-IR spectra indicating replacement of Hydroxyl bonds between the starch polymer chains with weaker hydrogen bonds between the starch and the plasticizer. The SEM micrographs shows the break down of the polygonal shaped granules of the starch to patches of various sizes. The DMA indicated that the storage modulus of the TPS (E') decreases with increase in temperature indicating that there is loss in stiffness of the material with rise in temperature as expected in plastic materials. While the mechanical loss factor (tanδ) increases with increase in temperature the reverse trend of the modulus. In the thermal analysis, both TGA and DSC showed that the TPS has better thermal stability as compared to native starch